I want to know why my betta fish is swimming sideways, and seems to not see anymore, and is not eating?

Question

I have had my fish for almost a year ( I have 2 ) Never had a prob, have a good routine with them. I changed the little guys water, and when i put him back in his tank he was all weird. Bumping into the thermometer, floating to the top, can't swim straight. HELP!

Thanks for everyone's input. Unfortunately my betta passed away this morning.

Answer 1

Something shocked him that's for sure. It could have been pH or temperature. Those would be my first guesses. There really isn't anything you can do for him except keep the area quite and darkened so that he can destress and hope for the best. All that's assuming you did dechlorinate the water.... I know, but everyone has made that accidental mistake before, I know I have plenty of times.

BTW, never use distilled water and a betta can easily live 4-5 years. Just so you know.

Best of luck to you and to him.

MM

Answer 2

it sounds liek something might be wrong with it's swim bladder.

"This is a common problem whereby fish lose their equilibrium and are unable to maintain their position. This can result in the fish swimming awkwardly, laying upside-down either on the bottom or top of the water, or unable to maintain a horizontal position in the water. This is often attributed to swim-bladder problems and indeed this is the most common cause of loss of equilibrium. The swim-bladder is an air-filled sac laying just under the backbone at the top of the abdominal cavity. By inflating / deflating the swim-bladder, the fish can adjust its position in the water and maintain neutral buoyancy.

The swim-bladder can be affected by bacterial or viral diseases. In addition the swim-bladder may malfunction, leading to over or under inflation. Clearly anything which affects the proper functioning of the swim-bladder will also affect the fish's equilibrium.

However, before diagnosing all equilibrium problems as swim-bladder disease, we should be aware that there are other conditions which can cause buoyancy problems. Disease in other organs such as kidneys and intestines for example can also cause problems. This can happen if there is any swelling of the affected organs leading to either a change in organ density or pressure being put on the swim-bladder. This is often a problem with fancy goldfish whose abdominal cavity is tightly packed.

Treatment is difficult, mainly because it is virtually impossible to diagnose the cause and secondly there are only a few conditions that will respond to treatment. It is always worth considering a course of antibiotic injections in case a bacterial infection is involved. An attempt should be made to see whether the fish is defecating, in case the problem is being caused by an intestinal blockage. If this is suspected it is worth either trying to feed the fish a few frozen peas, which act as a laxative, or else try baths in Epsom salts (70g / litre for 5 minutes) which has the same effect.

If these treatments do not work, there is little else that can be done. There is some work being carried out on exploratory surgery, but there are very few veterinarians undertaking this "cutting edge" procedure.

There are a few reports of fish recovering from balance problems, so it is worth giving the fish some time. One report suggested "wedging" the fish upright between two objects was helpful. If there is no sign of recovery after 7-10 days, the kindest thing is to euthanase the fish."

The pea thing works really good!

Answer 3

easily, replacing each of the water is risky and may kill a fish. the right thanks to maintain a fish tank is to empty basically portion of the water, at the same time as the fish is kept in the tank. He sounds undesirable off - you'll truthfully lose him now. in the destiny, purchase a syphon hose so that you'll be able to suited syphon out the water and vacuum the gravel - about 25% water replace each week is adequate to save a betta in a three gallon or higher tank healthful.

Answer 4

There is something wrong with the water. The next time you change it do it in increments. Not all at once. Maybe 1/2 Then a couple weeks later do it again. This will help keep the proper pH balance. Also use distilled water There are no chemicals in that.

Answer 5

never use distilled water, if has not nutrients in it or minerals. very bad for fish. use normal tap water and a conditioner or bottle spring water.

as for your problem... sounds to me like a swim bladder disorder. how often do you feed them? does he look bloated at all?

Answer 6

ohhh poor fishy. im not sure cuz that happens with me sometimes...and when it would swim like that it usually died like the next day or a few days later. i do know that a beta's lifespan is about a year, sometimes 2. maybe change the water again?
it could work

Answer 7

they do those thinks and u have to wait a day before u put them in new water

Answer 8

did you remove the chlorine from the water 1st? it burns!